Amy Koczera: Strategic Writer & Storyteller

Tag: news

  • Texas Parks and Wildlife ask for public’s help to track deadly deer disease

    Texas Parks and Wildlife ask for public’s help to track deadly deer disease

    LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Parks and Wildlife officials have asked the public to look out for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The neurological disease has spread throughout deer in Texas, attacking their brains and causing them to act almost like zombies before eventually killing them.

    “It overwhelms the population and pretty well turns these deer in zombies,” said Judd Blanchard, a local hunting guide.

    It can sometimes take up to two years for symptoms to show in deer, making the disease especially insidious because it can be difficult to track before then. 

    “The deer are real skinny, or it looks like they’re foaming out of their mouth, and kind of like they’re wandering around lost, like they just, they have no sense of direction,” said Blanchard.

    If it is not caught early and contained, the disease can decimate populations.

    Read the full article on everythinglubbock.com, published March 7, 2021.

  • Kat’s Alley Cats provides shelter for over 140 kitties during storm

    Kat’s Alley Cats provides shelter for over 140 kitties during storm

    LUBBOCK, Texas — The extreme cold temperatures last week can be dangerous for a lot of animals – especially the feral cats in our community. Fortunately, thanks to Kat’s Alley Cats, over 140 cats were saved during the snowstorm.

    The small but mighty non-profit is dedicated to reducing the overpopulation of feral cats through safely trapping, neutering and returning them to their colonies. Feral cats can’t survive well on their own, so when the storm hit, volunteers quickly stepped up for our kitties in need.

    “I got really worried,” said Korey Burns, a volunteer who sheltered cats during the snowstorm. “I knew that the kittens would just freeze to death if we didn’t do something, provide some shelter.” 

    With a growing community of cats in her neighborhood, Burns had to act fast to keep them from freezing in the cold.

    Read the full article on everythinglubbock.com, published February 28, 2021.

  • Lubbock Meals on Wheels stress for public to check on homebound in cold weather

    Lubbock Meals on Wheels stress for public to check on homebound in cold weather

    LUBBOCK, Texas — These cold conditions can be especially troubling for our homebound and elderly neighbors. With Meals on Wheels providing meals and other essential check-ins for those folks, they reached out to the community to help them out during this time – the response was incredible.

    “With us coming off of a weekend where we weren’t able to deliver and then Monday and Tuesday where we weren’t able to get here, that makes us really concerned about their safety,” said Lisa Gilliland, Executive Director at Lubbock Meals on Wheels. 

    In these unprecedented conditions, looking after our homebound neighbors is more important now than ever before. To continue with their services, Meals on Wheels asked for folks with four-wheel-drive vehicles to help deliver this week. Thankfully, well over 100 reached out. 

    “It was great to be able to put out the call for action and for so many people to respond,” said Gilliland. “We have so many people that we’ll be able to have another group of people come in tomorrow and do the same thing.”

    On top of the lack of interaction for our older folks in this pandemic, below-freezing temperatures raise even more concerns related to heat, plumbing, health and access to food.

    “It’s just so easy for an elderly person to fall and not get access to a phone and that just might be the last thing they ever do, and we would hate for that to be the case,” said volunteer Tom Baker.

    Read the full article on everythinglubbock.com, published February 17, 2021.